Device for removing irregularities from a ground covering



Feb. 2, 1965 G o. KAPPLER 3,168,150

DEVICE FOR REMOVING IRREGULARITIES FROM A GROUND COVERING Filed Dec. 25,1963 G/LBfPT 0. KAPPLER lA/I/E/VTUR United States Patent s 168 150nnvrcn non RnMovING IRREGULARITEES FROM A GROUND covEG Gilbert 0.Kappler, lite. 1, Box 125, Mulino, Greg. Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser. No.332,826 6 Claims. or. 172-371 This invention relates to a tool forremoving indentations and other irregularities from golf course puttinggreens and similar areas where smooth-surfaced turf is desired.

Putting greens require a large amount of almost continuous upkeep tomaintain their design contours free of abrupt irregularities so that agolf ball will consistently tend to roll in a reasonably predictablepath from the putter to the cup as dictated by the general contour ofthe green. Particularly troublesome in the maintenance of greens is theproblem of eliminating small concave depressions in the surfaces thereofcaused by golf balls striking such surfaces on the fiy.

In the past, removal of each indentation has been a tedious and timeconsuming job, the success of which depended largely on the specialmanual skill of the greenskeeper. Although specialized tools forremoving such indentations have been suggested, their construction andoperation have been unduly complex and not altogether successful.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved tool for removing indentations from putting greens that issimple in construction and easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved toolthat removes indentations and other irregularities rapidly, effectivelyand with a minimum of effort.

Another, more specific object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved tool with a simplified operating cycle consisting of a downwardpushing of the tool into the ground to fill an indentation followedby avertical lifting of the tool to remove the same without disturbing thegreen surface.

In furtherance of the above objects and in accordance with theillustrated embodiment, the tool comprises an elongated verticallyoperable frame incuding a handle at the upper end and a housing near thelower end thereof. Spaced beneath and slideable relative to the lowerend of the housing is a base plate which is spring biased away from suchend. A plurality of normally vertical but inwardly pivotal fingers arearranged within the housing about the axis of the tool and project belowthe lower end of the housing and base plate. When the tool is centeredover an indentation and the fingers pushed into the ground thereabout,the housing is forced toward the base plate against the bias of thespring, actuating linkage within the housing to cause the outer ends ofthe fingers to converge, thereby forcing soil upwardly into theindentation.

The fingers and base plate are so organized that each time the tool isused the fingers project a uniform distance into the ground and thenpull sod from a uniform depth upwardly and firmly into the base plate.

The tool is easily operated with one hand, simple downward motion of thehandle producing both finger penetration and pivotal, convergingmovement of the fingers which serves to flatten the sod. With lifting ofthe handle, the fingers return to a vertical position and the toolreleases itself.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will bemore readily ascertained from inspection of the folowing specificationtaken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGS.1 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a partially diagrammatic view of the lower end of the tool ofFIG. 1 illustrating the operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated tool includes an elongated,normally vertical frame structure 10 comprising a tubular metal shaft 12and a transversely extending handle 14 rigidly attached to the upper endof the shaft. The lower end of shaft 12 is secured within the upper endof a housing 16 having four longitudinally extending fin-like projectingportions 18 radiating symmetrically and increasingly outwardly from themain housing portion in a direction toward the lower end 20 thereof.

Lower end 20 opens into an internal cavity 22 having four arms 22adefining a cruciform cross sectional shape for the cavity in the lowerportion of the housing. The cavity gradually diminishes into an upperportion of cylindrical shape. The arms of the cruciform-shaped portionof the cavity extend into projecting portions 18 of the housing.

Within each arm of the cavity a lever member 24 is pivotally mounted ona pin 26. Each pin, in turn, is anchored in the walls of a projectinghousing portion 18.

A blade-like, soil-penetrating finger 28 is affixed to each lever member24, adjacent its pivoted end, and each such finger projects downwardlyand normally vertically through open lower end 20 of the housing,whereby a sharpened outer end 29 of each finger is in position topenetrate the ground. As shown most clearly in FIG. 1, four fingers arethus provided, and these are symmetrically arranged about the axis ofthe tool in opposed pairs.

Finger actuating means is included for converging outer ends 29 of thefingers inwardly toward the axis of the tool after penetration of theground beyond a predetermined depth by such fingers, whereby the broad,inwardly directed faces of the fingers push soil upwardly into adepression to be filled. This finger-actuating means includes aground-engaging base plate 36 mounted beneath lower end 20 of thehousing on rods 32. Rods 32 are fastened to plate 30, and are slideablewithin bosses 34 provided on the lower portion of the housing betweenadjacent finlike projections 18. Thus, the base plate is movable towardand away from lower end 26 of the housing with rods 32 guiding itsmovement. The base plate is provided with four openings, or slots 35,through which fingers 28 project. Each such slot is of sufiicient sizeto accommodate its corresponding finger when the latter is in either avertical, or an inclined position (as shown by fingers 28a indicated indotted outline in FIG. 5).

An actuator member 36 is reciprocally mounted centrally within the lowerportion of cavity 22. Member 36 includes a hollow, cylindrical bodyportion 38 joined to the base plate, and a solid head portion 40. Thehead and body portions are separated by a narrow neck 42, whereby thereis defined a circumferential notch 43, within which the radiallyinnermost and free ends 44 of lever members 24 are received. It shouldbe noted that body portion 38 has a rounded outer surface adjacent neck42, which enables its lever members to move freely upon relative axialmovement of actuator member 36 within the housing. As shown in FIGS. 2and 3, head portion 4%) of actuator 36 includes four radially extendingcars 46, which project into arms 22a of cavity 22, and prevent relativerotation of the actuator within housing 16. The cars also serve to limitupward travel of the actuator within housing 16, as they prevent thehead of the actuator from moving up into the cylindrical portion ofcavity 22.

A coil spring 48 positioned within the cylindrical portion of cavity 22at one end engages the wall defining the top of the cavity, and at itsother end abuts the top of head portion 40. The spring biases theactuator and base plate downwardly relative to housing 16, and thusserves to urge the inner ends of lever members 24 toward each other ndfingers 28 into their vertical position.

Movement of the base plate and actuator 36 downwardly from the housingin FIG. 4 is limited by collars 35 joined to the top ends of the rods32. Divergent move-,

ment of figures 28, beyond the vertical position shown in FIG. 2, isprevented by their outer broad faces abutting against the outer edges ofslots 35 through which the fingers project.

In operation, the tool is centered over an indentation to be removed.Then, as shown in solid outline in FIG. 5, the vertical fingers arepushed into the ground, by exerting a downward pressure on handle 14 andframe section 10. The fingers penetrate the ground freely, until baseplate 30 engages the surface of the ground. Thereafter, continueddownward pressure on handle 14 causes lower end 20 of the housing toapproach the base plate, against the biasing of coil spring 48. Thiscauses actuator member 36 to move upwardly in the housing, and in turnproduces the pivoting of the lever members, whereby they shift to thepositions indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 2. This converges theouter ends of fingers 28 toward the axis of the tool and along a pathindicated by arrows 50 in FIG. 5. As a result, sod in the indentation ispushed upwardly, with removal of the indentation. An indentation cannever be overfilled by the tool, since plate 30 ex tends as a flatexpanse over the indentation, and this plate is flushed with the top ofthe ground throughout converging movement of the fingers. After removalof the indentation, the tool is easily removed from the ground withoutdisturbing the green surface by releasing the downward pressure exertedon handle 14. This results in spring 48 returning the fingers to theirvertical positions.

The tool may then be lifted from the ground, which frees the fingersentirely.

It should be noted that there is no substantial force producingconverging of the fingers below the base plate until the base platecomes into ground contact. Thus convergence of the fingers is alwayswith the fingers at uniform ground penetration.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the operating cycle of thetool is both simple and quick, requiring merely a downward pushingagainst the tool handle to remove the indentation, followed by a releaseand vertical lifting of the tool to remove the tool.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that theinvention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim asmy invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising anelongated normally vertical frame structure including a handle adjacentthe upper end thereof and a housing adjacent the lower end thereof, 7 aa base plate mounted on said housing beneath said lower end for movementtoward and away from said housing, said base plate being normally biasedoutwardly, away from said lower end, 7 at least two spaced apart groundpenetrating fingers pivotally mounted within said housing and arrangedsymmetrically about the axis of said frame structure,

4. said fingers projecting outwardly of said lower end and throughopenings in said base plate in a direction normally parallel to saidaxis, and

finger actuating means within said housing operatively connecting saidbase plate to said fingers for converging the outer ends of said fingersin response to relative movement of said housing toward said base plate.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said finger actuating meansincludes an axially slideable actuator member mounted centrally withinsaid housing and-connected to said base plate, and lever means connectedto said fingers and operable in response to axial sliding of saidactuator member for displacing the outer ends of said fingers inwardly.

3. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising anelongated, normally vertically disposed frame structure including ahandle adjacent the upper end thereof and a housing adjacent the lowerend thereof, said handle, housing and connective frame structurecomprising a single rigid unit, 3 a base plate slideably mounted on saidhousing outwardly adjacent said lower end for relative movement towardand away from said lower end, at least a pair of normally verticallydisposed fingers pivotally mounted within said housing and arranged onopposite sides of the axis of said frame structure, said fingersprojecting outwardly from said lower end and through openings in saidbase plate, and

finger actuating means within said housing operatively' connecting saidbase plate to said fingers for converging the outer ends of said fingerstoward one another in response to relative axial displacement of saidframe structure toward said base plate against the pressure'of saidspring means.

4. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising anelongated, normally vertical frame structure including a handle rigidlymounted on said frame structure adjacent the upper end thereof, altlousing adjacent the lower end of said frame strucure,

a base plate slideably mounted on said housing beneath said lower endfor movement toward and away from said lower end,

axially reciprocal actuator means mounted centrally within said housingand aifixed to said base plate,

lever members within said housing, one end of each said lever membersengaging said actuator means and the opposite end thereof beingpivotally connected to said housing,

a plurality of ground penetrating fingers fixedly attached one to eachof said lever members at said opposite ends, said fingersprojectingdownwardly from said lever members through said lower end andthrough openings in said base plate, and

spring means within said housing engaging said actuator means forbiasing said'fingers in a vertical dis-. position and said base plateaway from said lower' end, I a said fingers being pivotable inwardlytoward one another in response to axial movement of said frame structuretoward said base plate and pivotable outwardly to a vertical dispositionupon subsequent each said lever members for biasing saidfi'ngers to a'vertical position and for converging the outer ends of said fingers uponaxial displacement of said actuator means relative to said housing.

6. A tool according to claim 4, wherein said actuator means comprises ahead portion engaging said spring means, a generally cylindrical bodyportion spaced from said head portion and rigidly aflixed to said baseplate, and an intermediate neck portion connecting said head and bodyportions and defining a circumferential notch for receiving said one endof each said lever members.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,924 11/17Johnson 294-50.9 5 2,585,298 2/52 Coelho 471 2,869,915 1/59 Good 29450.6

T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner.

1. A TOOL FOR REMOVING INDENTATIONS FROM PUTTING GREENS COMPRISING ANELONGATED NORMALLY VERTICAL FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING A HANDLE ADJACENTTHE UPPER END THEREOF AND A HOUSING ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, ABASE PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING BENEATH SAID LOWER END FOR MOVEMENTTOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID BASE BEING NORMALLY BIASEDOUTWARDLY, AWAY FROM SAID LOWER END, AT LEAST TWO SPACED APART GROUNDPENETRATING FINGERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ARRANGEDSYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE SAID FINGERSPROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF SAID LOWER END AND THROUGH OPENINGS IN SAID BASEPLATE IN A DIRECTION NORMALLY PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS, AND FINGERACTUATING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID BASEPLATE TO SAID FINGERS FOR CONVERGING THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS INRESPONSE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID HOUSING TOWARD SAID BASE PLATE.